Pros & Cons of Articles

Contains an enormous variety of information, with free, full-text access to you while you're a student here.

Articles can sometimes focus on smaller, more niche interests than a book, so some topics will find more resources here.

Databases typically provide you with the information you need to decide whether you trust a source, offering citations, authors, credentials, and more.

CONS

There are many different databases; knowing which one to search can be a challenge.

Academic articles are typically dealing with research questions, which means you have to interpret or synthesize their findings into your paper. They don't just provide raw data without analysis.

What Databases to Use?

OWU subscribes to many different databases, each with a different focus. To see the complete list of databases you have access to, click here. For a few suggestions for databases that may be helpful to some of you, keep reading.

As for how you search a database, well, it works the same way it did with books! Pick a small handful of keywords or subject phrases, pay attention to the language they use - so, Nineteen Sixties is a better search than 1960s - and recognize that you will likely have to do a few searches before you figure out the best combination of search terms.

This database focuses specifically on academic journals on the history of the United States and Canada. This contains almost exclusively academic resources, however, so no newspapers or magazines here.

Covers the literature about television and film writing. Subject coverage includes film & television theory, preservation & restoration, writing, production, cinematography, technical aspects, and reviews. Great if you're taking a pop culture perspective.